I just got through doing a DIY install with one of there kits. (about a couple of weeks ago)

These guys can set you up with a kit that suits your tastes.
They really know these cars and what works in them so the biggest mistake you can make with them is not taking there advice totally and absolutely.

These guys can set you up with a kit that suits your tastes.
They really know these cars and what works in them so the biggest mistake you can make with them is not taking there advice totally and absolutely.

If you were going to do this one item at a time I would do Amp first, doors second and undeseats last. Why because if you do the subs first they will overwhelm the doors. You will actually get some bass out of the stock underseats with more power they may not last long . All the stock speakers
in the Hi Fi are 2 ohm that means they get the power of an aftermarket amp at the 2 ohm rating. I strongly would advise you to go the Musicar route as they can give you a balanced system . You get all the wire harness , speaker adapters , shims the system is already pretty much setup, it comes with factory connectors its as plug and play as it gets. They won't sell you stuff that doesn't fit or sound good.

If you can send me your email address that will help you do and easy install.
You probably can't mail yet Iwould guess.

Also if you specify what kind of music you listen to Musicar will tailor the system to that and your budget.

Do you have a coupe or sedan/wagon the coupe doors are a little thinner
which limits the speaker selection.

redline2001 did you mean to replace it.
If you were dumpster diving for parts on your own about
900 bucks and getting stuff from a lot of different places then
putting it all together and tuning it . You don't have to do any of that
with a Musicar kit the harness is prewired to the amp and the amp is
set up with the right crossover points. The crossovers are pre wired also
you just plug the speakers in . So its run power and ground, plug the technic
harness into the amp connector. Install the speakers in the doors and floors,
which also just plug in . No soldering, crimping or wiring required.

The musicar systems start around 1k and up for better speakers more
and better amps, processors etc., plus you get e9x tech support if required.

I couldn't find I shop I would trust or that wanted to deal with a small scale
(according to them) upgrade.
I found most of the shops had little E9x knowledge and a very limited amount of anything that would fit.
After doing a ton or research and lurking on the audio subboard for quite some time I probably know every way you can put one in wrong and how to avoid it. On the monetary side I probably saved about 1k in installation costs. And I can now support or modify my system without assistance.

BSW won't help much with the base audio as there is no amp and the
power output of the head unit is only about 12 watts if that.
There system is optimized for L7.
Also the base system head unit has a equalization built in to make up for the lack of tweeters that causes you to need a processor to straighten it out before applying an amp real tweeters and better speakers.

From what I understand a 4 ohm speaker will be more accurate than a 2 ohm .
You have enough power for either with that amp.

I would get the 4 ohm because of that and because it will allow more adjustment for the gain . With the stock speakers (the 2 ohms) There is no adjustment range for the doors at least they have to be set at minimum gain.

I got some prices from musicar. Although they are incredibly knowledgeable, their system is a little out of the budget I had in mind.

I am pretty handy with electrical and there is plenty of diy instructions on this site. I am going to attempt buying the components online (JL XD600/6, Earthquake SWS-8X, Rainbow or Morels for front, Technic's harness). This will cost ~$1,100 with Morels and about $200 less with Rainbows. Any installation material will be additional (wires, clips, etc.)

This brings me to the following question-
I am trying to decide between Rainbow SLC 210.25 NG and Morel Dotech Ovation 4. To someone who is not technically versed about speakers, do the Morel's sound significantly better than Rainbows?

I bet the Musicar systems are within a couple of hundred bucks of
the raw pieces you would buy at the low ball places on the Internet
and they have actual factory warranty's. plus you get all the pieces you need.

Morels are suppose to play lower but either would be a magnitude
better than the stock ones. The trouble with all this stuff is if you are
a comparison shopper you probably won't find anyplace you can actually hear it.

I remember a couple of guys who bought the 'same stuff' that Musicar proposed, but from other (cheaper) outlets.

Then, the fun started. After installation they had noise, unbalanced sound, other problems.

Better to buy from a supporting vendor; and pay for a complete, tested, and warrantied system - that comes with tech support to help resolve any problems along the way.

Yes, you can probably source all of the individual parts cheaper on Ebay, but you still don't get all of the required connectors for the underseat subs and door separates. That means cutting and splicing, and that means likely problems (just search here, you'll find'em).

Back in the day, when Technic and myself and a few others were the initial folks pioneering audio upgrade research and testing in E9x vehicles, the way he's talking about doing it is the way we had to do it. I would be somewhat of an ass to say that he doesn't get to do it the way I did, or that many of us did. Of course he can. In so doing, he will be using information that I and others provided in the past, but that's OK, we all put it up there to be used.

On the other hand, I can't begin to tell you how much time - and how many potential errors or mistakes - we are saving any for install project, with the collection of parts and adapters and interfaces which we provide. We offer a product which many experienced and knowledgeable folks have found to be a good value.

As I replied to his inquiry originally, the difference in cost covers installation parts, vehicle-specific parts beyond the Technic HiFi harness, wiring and cabling...

On the other hand, I can't begin to tell you how much time - and how many potential errors or mistakes - we are saving any for install project, with the collection of parts and adapters and interfaces which we provide. We offer a product which many experienced and knowledgeable folks have found to be a good value.

Regards,

Ken

OP,

I cannot possibly reinforce this enough. I bought from Ken a few months before he started doing all the "value added" stuff, little bits and pieces here, connectors there, everything. I also bought some components separately.

I can't tell you the number of hours I have spent on real oem, searching different dealers, ordering stuff online, finding the right cables, trial, error and WASTE due to buying the wrong part or deciding to go a different route later....all of this is eliminated with the P&P kits.

All of these bits and pieces cost money..little bits at a time. I spent 2K on the parts of my system I bought from Ken, I might be well north of $2500 now.

Now that he is offering plug and play kits, there is really no other smart alternative (other than the previously mentioned Unexpected Creations in Edison NJ). Seriously, you are wasting your time, and NOT saving money by buying elsewhere.